20 interviewing tips for journalists

Journalists planning an interview need to be prepared. Try to keep it to three questions because if you haven't worked out in three what you want the person to say you never will. Never look at your notes and always listen to what the other person is saying.

Never give an interviewee questions in advance. It’s OK to give a general idea about the interview themes but specific questions limit what you can ask in the interview. It also risks being overtaken by events and allows the interviewee to rehearse answers and sound stilted in the interview.

Be on time. There’s nothing worse than keeping someone waiting for you.

Always check your equipment is working and that you have enough batteries, tapes, discs etc before you leave the office.

Treat the interviewee with respect. A warm but not over enthusiastic greeting is a good start. The interviewee deserves respect whether they are the President or the person who collects the rubbish.

Take control of the location. It’s your interview. You decide what the background should be, if it’s too noisy, if there are too many distractions.

You are not the centre of attention. Remember you are there to get the perspective of the interviewee not give your own.

Do the research you need to, but don’t try to cram it all into your questions. Before you start the interview put yourself in the shoes of a member of your audience. If they were here, what would they ask?

Ask the most important question first. The more pressed the interviewee is the less time they will have and the more likely they will cut the interview short.

The interview is a conversation. It is not a confrontation. You are not there to make the interviewee look stupid.

Try to avoid looking at notes. When you look at your notes the interviewee will also look at what you’re looking at. It’s difficult to read and listen at the same time.

Maintain eye contact at all times. Avoid nodding your head vigorously. You don’t do that when you talk to people, so don’t do it in an interview.

Try to ask a maximum of three or four questions. An interview is not a fishing expedition. If you can’t get to the essence of what you want the interviewee to say in three or four questions, change the questions.

There are only six basic questions. Who? What? Where? When? How? Why?

Shorter questions are better than longer ones. The more detail there is in the question the more difficult it is for the interviewee to track what you are asking. Be as direct as you can without being rude.

Be sure of your facts. There’s nothing worse than being told you are wrong by an interviewee – especially when it’s live.

Listen. The interviewee might want to use your interview to say something important that you were not expecting.

If the interviewee’s not happy with the way they answered a particular question don’t give in to appeals for them to do it again – unless there is a factual error in the answer or there is a risk of serious confusion.

At the end of the interview, no matter how difficult the interviewee has been, always say thank you

Always check the interview has been recorded before the interviewee leaves. It’s much harder to re-do the interview if there’s been a technical fault.

When you’re editing don’t take answers out of context. That’s cheating.

Jaldeep Katwala

Jaldeep Katwala has been a journalist since 1985. He has worked for the BBC, Channel 4 News and Radio Netherlands as a broadcaster. He has also taught journalism and run several media development projects and training courses around the world.

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